The field of wireless communication has seen dramatic growth the last few years. In today's world, most people use their mobile devices, be it cellular phones, PDA's, laptops, media players and/or other devices, for various purposes, business and personal, on a constant and daily basis. Increasingly, people are able to access information according to their individual choice. For instance, people may select music or videos from an electronic media store of their choice and play them on portable devices. In addition, the Internet allows people to access news and information at a time convenient for them rather then at specified broadcast times. In addition, many wireless solutions have been introduced, and have made tremendous strides into everyday life.
For example, the use of Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN) has been gaining popularity in a great number of applications because of the flexibility and convenience in connectivity they provide. WPAN systems generally replace cumbersome cabling and/or wiring used to connect peripheral devices and/or mobile terminals by providing short distance wireless links that allow connectivity within very narrow spatial limits (typically, a 10-meter range). WPAN may be based on standardized technologies, for example Class 3 Bluetooth (BT) technology. While WPAN may be very beneficial for certain applications, other applications may require larger service areas and/or capabilities.
To satisfy such needs, other technologies have been developed to provide greater wireless service. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) systems may operate within a 100-meter range, for example. In contrast to the WPAN systems, WLAN provide connectivity to devices that are located within a slightly larger geographical area, such as the area covered by a building or a campus, for example. WLAN systems are generally based on specific standards, for example IEEE 803.11 standard specifications, and typically operate within a 100-meter range, and are generally utilized to supplement the communication capacity provided by traditional wired Local Area Networks (LANs) installed in the same geographic area as the WLAN system.
Other wireless solutions have evolved from traditional land-based communication technologies. For instance, cellular phones have become just about an absolute necessity in today's world. While cellular technology was merely intended to add an element of mobility to the traditional telephony service, this technology has grown beyond that initial purpose. Many modern cellular technologies, including such technologies as GSM/GPRS, UMTS, and CDMA3000 may incorporate substantial data capabilities. Most of today's cellular services may include such features as text messaging, video streaming, web browsing, etc.
Some mobile devices have the capability to utilize one or more wireless technologies. For instance, WLAN systems may be operated in conjunction with WPAN systems to provide users with an enhanced overall functionality. For example, Bluetooth technology may be utilized to connect a laptop computer or a handheld wireless terminal to a peripheral device, such as a keyboard, mouse, headphone, and/or printer, while the laptop computer or the handheld wireless terminal may also be connected to a campus-wide WLAN network through an access point (AP) located within the building. Also, cellular technology may allow use of the mobile phone as a form of wireless modem that allows connecting a laptop, for example, to the Internet via a cellular network.
In short, wireless networks may exist to support mobile wireless devices. However, while mobile wireless devices have continued to grow in complexity and capability, these devices still continue to suffer from some major limitations, especially physical limitations and power.
Just as with other electronic devices, the mobile wireless devices have seen substantial growth in performance capability and speed. As such, they are finding applications in areas not predicted when first introduced to give users mobile telephony. They may comprise mini computers, multimedia players, GPS devices and many other applications, for example. As a result of the growth in performance, more and more applications are being added to wireless devices, thereby increasing complexity.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.